Truck.



C. A. LINDSAY.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, |914.

1,148,599. Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

WITNESSES:

//// @f4 rBY I ATTORNEY.

COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH C0.. WASHINGTON, D. c.

entran srarns rarnrvr ernten.

CLARENCE A. LINDSAY, OF EAST ORANGEQNEI/V JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHAPMAN TRUCK COMPANY, 0F HOLYKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A FIRM.

TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1915.

Application filed .Tune 29, 1914. Serial No. 847,797.

around a warehouse or station, and are usually drawn by means of a handle projecting at the front of the truck, and to the particular form of truck that is provided with a supplemental frame that can be elevated by the swinging downward of the draft handle from a substantially upright position.

The object of the invention is to providev a foot lever attachment for the drafthandle of the truck of the character above indicated which may be engaged by the foot of a person operating the truck in order to obtain leverage and power, additionalto that imparted by the arms to swing the handle downward whereby the supplemental frame of the truck, with the Aload'thereon, is elevated. And a further object is to render the foot attachment foldable relatively to the draft handle and to provide spring means to secure the retention thereof when in its folded position closely alongside the draft handle.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention,-Fig ure 1 shows in side elevation .a truck ofthis character with the lever in closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the supplemental frame inlowered position and the draft handle upright, with the foot lever swung down to position for operation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the lever showing a portion of the draft handle, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the same parts, showing in broken lines the lever in the lowered position. Fig. 5 shows a side elevation of the foot lever reduced.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, I represent a truck of the character that can be operated to elevate the load by the swinging of the draft handle, which truck is indicated as having a main frame member 6 connecting the front and rear wheels 7 and 8, and a lifting frame 9 supported by links 10 and 11, and which frame can be elevated from the lowered position in which it is shown in Fig. 2 to the elevated position of Fig. 1 by the operation of swinging the'draft handle 12 from the upright position of Fig. 2, to an inclined position as indicated in Fig. 1. l

I provide a foot lever 14 that is suitably hinged to the handle 12 near its lower end, and the lever is provided with a lateral eX- tension 15 at its free end to engage the foot of the user of the truck.

I connect the lever 14 with the handle i member by means of a coil spring 16, so that the lever can be normally retained adjacent the draft handle by the tension of this spring, but when the lever is swung to a transverse position, or one-perpendicular to the handle, the spring will move to or beyond a position of dead center.

In the form shown, I provide a socket member 17 adapted to slide on the handle 12 and be locked in position by a clamp bolt 18.

,The handle 14 is pivoted to the socket member' at 19, and when swung to a position perpendicular to the handle 12 will engage an abutment 20 to limit its movement in this direction. l v

The coil spring 15 is attached to a stud 21 on the lever 14 by one end, while its other end is secured to a pin 22 on the socket member, whereby when the lever is swung down from the position adjacent the handle yas shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to the transverse position indicated in Fig. 2, and in broken lines inv Fig. f1, the spring will be tensioned and will pass to or beyond a dead center, that is the axis of the spring will move to or beyond the axis of the pin 19 of the lever; whereby the tension of the spring cannot now act to move the lever from this transverse position; but as soon as the lever is given a small advance movement, and the spring passes beyond the pin 19, it will serve to swing the lever up adjacent the handle 12, and retain it in this position.

To further assistin retaining the lever in the transverse position, I employ a lug 23 on the socket member, that is engaged by the spring in the transverse position of the lever to further tension the spring and the friction between the lug and the spring will assist in retaining the lever in this position.

In the use of the device, when the draft handle of the truck is brought to the upright position as indicated in Fig. 2, the

operator will grasp the handle by his hand and by placing the foot on the arm or eX- tension 15, the lever can be swung down to the transverse position as indicated in Fig. 2; and then the foot of the operator is placed on the arm 15 of the lever, and the weight of the operator can be thrown on this lever, that as it projects some distance in front of the aXle 7 on or near which the lever 12 swings, much greater power is provided for swinging the handle 12 down to the inclined position to elevate the movable frame 9. i

It will be seen that the lug 23 is inclined or in the form of a wedge as set forth in Fig. 3.

I claim 1. A truck provided with a vertically movable load supporting portion, and a draft handle adapted to swing in a vertical plane and cooperative with therload supporting portion to elevate and lower the same, and said handle having a forwardly projecting foot lever at ya lower portion thereof.

2. In a truck provided with an arrangement for elevating a load supporting portion and which is actuated by the swinging in a vertical plane of a draft handle, a foot lever having a hinge connection with the handle, and a springl arranged to retain the lever when moved from a position angular to the handle to al position adjacent and alongside the handle in such latter position.

l3. In a truck provided with an arrangement for elevating a load supporting portion and which is actuated by the swinging ina vertical plane of the draft handle, a foot lever comprising an arm hinged to the handle havinga horizontal extension at the free end, means for supporting the arm when brought perpendicular to the handle below the same, and a coil spring arranged to swing the lever when advanced from such position and retain it adjacent the handle.

l. In a truck provided with an arrangement for elevating a load supporting portion and which is actuated by the swinging in a vertical plane of the draft handle, a foot lever comprising an arm hinged to the handle having a horizontal extension at the free end, means for supporting the arm when brought perpendicular to the handle below the same, and a coil spring arranged to swing the lever when advanced from such to swing in the hinged portion from a position adjacent the handle to extendk perpendicular thereto and be retained by an abutment in such position against the further.l

movement, and means for retaining the lever adjacent the handle and also in said perpendicular position.

6. A device` of the character described:

comprising a socket portion adapted to be secured to a truck and having a hinge p ortion, a lever pivoted in the hinge portion and having a lateral extension at the free endto be swungv from a position adjacent the handle to a position perpendicular thereto, an abutment engaging the lever in the latter position to prevent further movement, a coil spring connected between the socket and the lever that is on deadcenter in the said perpendicular positionV and which serves to swingthe lever when advanced from said position and retain it adjacent the lever.`

7. A device of the character described comprising a socket portion adapted to be secured to a truck and having a hinge portion, la lever pivoted in the hinge portion and having a lateral extension at the free end to be swung from a position adjacent the handle to a position perpendicular there-Y to, an abutment engaging the lever in the a coil spring connected between the socket and the lever that is on a dead center in the said perpendicular position and 'which' C'opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. f

latter position to prevent further movement, 

